I love a good Arthur retelling and this book did not disappoint! This is one of the best retellings of the Arthur myth that I have read. You need to read this book if- you loved From Blood and Ash, you love the touch her and die trope, the who did this to you trope, you like it when he falls first, you love enemies to lovers, you like your heroines snarky and stabby, you love a good found family, or some of your favorite authors are Jennifer L. Armentrout and Sarah J. Mass. This book really checked all the boxes for me, it was everything I love in a spicy romantasy while still feeling 100% unique from anything else I’ve read before. The writing is on point! It is so well-written I just devoured the book. The characters are intriguing, the plot will keep you guessing, and the world-building is expertly incorporated without sacrificing the pace of the story. This quickly took a spot on my list of favorite books, and it only gets better as you move through the series!

I recently decided to reread 'Queen of Roses' by Briar Boleyn, hoping to recapture the magic I felt the first time around. And let me tell you, it didn't disappoint!

This book still has that same captivating blend of Arthurian legend and fae magic that I loved initially. Morgan remains a compelling protagonist, and I found myself just as drawn to her journey of self-discovery as I was the first time. The world-building continues to be impressive, and the romance between Morgan and the enigmatic warrior still adds a layer of intrigue.

While I still feel like the beginning is a bit slow-paced, the story quickly picks up momentum, and I found myself just as eager to learn more about the fae world and the dangers that lurk within. I'm still particularly intrigued by the secrets surrounding Morgan's heritage and the impact they will have on her future.

Overall, this reread reminded me why I fell in love with the Blood of a Fae series in the first place. It's a captivating story with a strong female protagonist and a unique blend of fantasy and romance.

I loved everything about this. The brooding male and the feisty female. The politics, the rivalry, the danger, and intrigue. I got pulled into this story so quickly and it just kept getting better. The ending was gut wrenching and left me begging for me. Got the second book right away. I don’t want to say too much because I’m afraid of giving too much away

The Arthurian references were neat, but this is definitely not a retelling of Camelot. Lots of twists and turns, and fairly fun to read, but I wasn't captivated enough to want to grab the next book.

Thank you for an advanced copy of this book.

Queen of Roses was a fun read and there were elements which I enjoyed such as the romantic tension and that Morgan wasn't a spoilt princess like in a lot of books. I didn't realise going into it this was Authurian based which I enjoyed. That said I do think there was room for Morgan to grow as a character which she didn't. Another big negative for me- animal cruelty. This always knocks a book down for me.

Overall it was a decent read but I'm not sure I would continue the series.

If you like retellings of King Arthur and Camelot, you would definitely love this (with fae in mix). The world building is spectacular in this. I love the balance and pace of the book. It's a delight for dark fantasy lovers.

Loved it! Adored it! Amazing detailed writing style! It drags a bit but the worldbuilding is absolutely amazing!
The character development - when the MCs grow through the story - great written! They feel real as in making human mistakes and all, as it happens. ofc!

On the other hand it's an Arthurian re-telling. If you like (Arthurian) re-tellings, then you can go for it, for sure, and enjoy this great piece of work!

"Queen of Roses" by Briar Boleyn is a spellbinding blend of courtly intrigue and simmering romance. The heroine is clever and fiercely determined, making her impossible not to root for. It’s the sort of book that keeps you up far too late, utterly enchanted.

I was not prepared for how slow this book was going to be. It took a lot to keep going. I thought the book was well written and had a lot of plot twists. I did not know going in that it was a series, but looking forward to the next one.

This story is a fantasy romance inspired by King Arthur. This story has fae, magic, spells, and adventure! There is a slow-burn romance, forced proximity, betrayal, and unexpected twists!

Morgan Pendragon was rumored to carry the tainted blood of the fae, therefore her brother was crowned as the king of the kingdom. Her brother, King Arthur, demands she go on a journey across the land looking for a legendary weapon This weapon has the hope of saving their kingdom. The journey to find the weapon is long, dangerous, and there are many unknowns.

I really loved the world building and character development in this book! The story between Morgan and Draven, had a lot of tension at times, but it really helped develop their relationship. I loved Drake from the beginning and loved him even more by the end. I can not wait to read Book 2 to see where their story goes! I would highly recommend this book! It might be the best story I've read this year!

Thank you Briar Boleyn and Victoria Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I enjoyed this, I really did. It was fast paced, I liked where the plot was going and I thought the characters were decent.

Some things were a little predictable which is fine, it was still an enjoyable read. One critique would be that some more development was needed between the two MCs. But considering how it ended, I’m guessing it was setting up for that in book

This was a great Arthurian retelling. Morgan has a secret, and she's fled in hopes of saving her own life, and that of her people. She doubts her brother Arthur's decisions now, seeing the ruthless king he's become.

Traveling with her guard who she's learning to trust, they find another companion who she finds also holds her attention. A great journey and a twist I never expected.

An amazing fast-paced fantasy series on par with other popular romantic fantasy series that everyone loves! I cannot believe this series hasn’t gone viral on booktok yet?!

TRIGGER WARNING LIST Abduction Abuse Alcohol Consumption Animal Death Assault Child Abuse Child Death Deceased Family Member Domestic Violence Drug Use Poisoning Sexual Assault Violence / Gore

Queen of Roses. My fellow readers I read a most fascinating Romantasy. By the end of the book I asked myself- what just happened?! The ending was such a shock to me. It was something that I was totally not expecting.
The main characters Morgan, Draven and Arthur are pivotal characters throughout the story. Princess Morgan I found her character to be somewhat smart in certain cases. Her character comes off very caring towards the innocent and helpless. Morgan has intermediate skills as a sword fighter. She hopes to one day to become a knight for the temple. Although for my thinking Morgan seems almost like a weakling. I will say this. Girl develop thick skin and grow a backbone. Moving on to her dear brother Arthur.

What can I say to you about the young King.

Oh I know!

Is there an Asylum among the grounds of Camelot, Merlin?

Arthur runs his kingdom with an iron fist. He and his friends (Florian specifically) has placed so many unsuspecting traps in place for Morgan and her people. The traps puts the plot twist to the famous writer Chris C. serial killer books to shame. What can I say to you about Florian. Right now.
At this moment. I am shaking my head, because the man has tested my patience throughout this book. Florian and Vesper are some of the characters that had me saying- girrrrl you better do something. The time is now! Stand up and shake those Daum cobwebs out of your head and get in the game.
Kick some asswipe and take names later. We got a country to save. Take off them prissy girl panties and put on those big girl granny panties, because you need all the help that you can get at this moment. A certain someone is raining hell all over the place.
You will need to read the story to find out how Arthur evolved to such a irrational human being. Morgan desperately wonders why Arthur’s doing all of this? What’s his motive? We move on to our strong Illustrious warrior, Draven. I have to admit every Romantasy book needs to have a Draven in it.
The way the writer describes his character is very masculine and seductive. What I’ve read from the book. When Draven walks through a room/ hall women’s heads will follow. He’s tall. He has wide shoulders.
He’s gorgeous. His raven hair effortlessly falls over his handsome brow. His eyes gives off a bright green glow. Their almost like a beacon that calls to all women whose sexual libido is on overdrive, in which he’s magnificently built for. And yes ladies - he’s a big softy when it comes to kids and animals.
Can the man get any better? I think that you should read the book. So as I was saying at the start of the book- Wait a minute here! Where’s the excitement? Where’s the action?
Give me drama! Give me excitement. I want to read the passion. I need the hot and steamy romance.
The book told me - Hold up girl. You can’t put the cart before the horse. Sit down and enjoy the book. The book didn’t actually say this. I’m not crazy people. But you get the jest. Moving on!
So as I continued reading the book, I noticed that the plot twist was getting better and better. The characters were getting better and better. I imagined all the wonderful and wild crazy things that transpired in Morgan’s chaotic world. Soon my imagination was on the journey with Morgan and her friends. Hoping and praying that things would come to fruition for them. But as I suspected with fruition there were tragic moments that I didn’t see coming. I thought that these moments were wow factors that clearly drove the plot to a phenomenal conclusion. As the story develops the characters magical moments evolves to something amazing that is described in wonderful details. It’s almost as though the story is giving your imagination a closeup view of something so majestic and beautiful to read. Did I talk to you about the mystical world?
Oh your going to love it? I believe it’s the best part of the book. The mystical world it’s totally worth reading. Your mind will be totally blown. I give this book two snaps and a - You touch me with that knife again and let’s see how quick I can detach your balls from your lower extremity.
Until next time my fellow readers. Read on!

Queen of Roses by Briar Boleyn 🥀👑
-⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️

--NON-SPOILER REVIEW --

Thank you to NetGalley, Briar Boleyn, and [publisher] for sending me an eArc of this in exchange for an honest review.

QUEEN OF ROSES is a fae twist on Arthurian Legend following Morgan as she goes on a quest in search of the sword Excalibur. There are elements of a corrupt kingdom, complex political drama, and slow burn romance.

Going into Queen of Roses, I didn't know it was an Arthurian Legend retelling and was pleasantly surprised. Whilst I places the writing seemed disjointed and lacking subtlety, which took away from the immersion, I did get sucked into this story.

I loved the slow burn elements of the character relationships and that Boleyn didn't try to do too much at once with the plot. It was a simple quest plot with elements of political intrigue.

My favourite character of all was Lancelet, my Sapphic Queen 😇😇 new fictional crush alert!!!

I can't wait to read the rest of the series and am very excited to see they're all available on KU

As this has been archived, I'll be reading this book on KU and will post my review once I have finished.

This is book one in a dark, fae re-telling of the well-known Arthurian legend in the search for Excalibur but Arthur plays a bitter and cruel villain and Morgan is the innocent one.

Plot:
Book one follows the journey of Morgan, who is the eldest of the Pendragon children and should have been queen once her father died, but she was disinherited in favor of her half-brother, Arthur, due to her tainted fae blood because her mother was fae. She suffers abuse by those in the kingdom who should protect her and her brother King Arthur does nothing to shelter her from it. He sends her on a dangerous campaign to find Excalibur, a weapon that has eluded many who have tried to find it over the centuries. Morgan is accompanied by two very dangerous guards on this quest and her brother doesn't care what they do to her as long as they accomplish the task. Kairos Draven and Ragnar Whitehorn, have bad reputations and she is not sure they have orders from King Arthur to return to Camelot with her after it is found.

Characters:
Morgan is extremely naive throughout the story and although had training to fight, did little to stop her abusers. Once they were on the quest, however, she experienced growth in confidence and strength and began to fight back with those who meant her harm. Draven is a handsome rugged "take no BS" kind of man. As hard as he is, he doesn't like to see people suffer and tries to keep Morgan safe and over the time they spend together she sees a different side of him than what she thought she knew. These two had some fun banter together and meshed well as main characters. I was shipping them to be more as they spent more time together.

Merlin, Lancelet are her friends and they all care for each other. They are all women too which is a nice little twist. Rather than them being pro-Arthur, they are pro-Morgan. She is the one suffering and being the punching bag for being a half-breed and never giving them reason to not trust her.

Worldbuilding:
This world was more interesting with the addition of fae and included some fantasy animals as well. It took a bit for the story to build up, so if you hang in there, it gets more action. I assume as the books continue that will keep happening since the first book sets up the scene.

Overall Thoughts:
In the first few chapters, I was getting used to what was happening since there were some changes in the well-known characters and I needed to get used to that storyline. Then the chapters stalled out a bit taking time to build what was going on, how she was as a character and how she was treated. It was very different from what I knew of this legendary tale. Once Morgan got out onto the road and their journey got going, things started to pick up and she started to stick up for herself. The characters are great and I have high hopes that they will continue to grow and the realm with new exciting additions. The book ended on a cliffhanger and will be interesting to see how it plays out.

Thank you to the publisher and author for the NetGalley ARC of this book to read and give an honest review.

This was an interesting story but a tough read. The plot, characters, backstory about the fae were well thought out and executed. However, due to my own shortcoming, I did not see the trigger list until having completed the book. That said, it was too much for me personally. The story had a slow beginning and was difficult to get into. That can be due to the world-building but the pace was too slow to catch my interest. The second half of the book was an easier read but I was taken out of the story a few times due to the fate of some of the animals. Overall, it was a good read with the potential for the rest of the series to be better. I personally won’t continue with the story due to the triggers.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the publisher via NetHalley. My review is optional and honest.

Leider konnte ich mich nicht auf diese Storyline einlassen. Derzeit fühle ich mich psychisch nicht wohl, daher muss es nicht zwangsweise an dem Buch liegen. Ich empfand den Schreibstil als angenehm. Er dirigierte mich nur so durch die Seiten. Das zeigt, dass ein Händchen fürs Schreiben gegeben ist. Ich würde auf jeden Fall zu einem späteren Zeitpunkt nochmal ein anderes Buch probieren (:

Briar Boleyn did an amazing job with this retelling. I love the growth and development of the FMC, Morgan Pendragon. She learns about herself and perseveres and the story is such a great coming of age story. What makes this book even better is the enemies to lovers story! Such a good trope and Boleyn delivered on it with her mysterious MMC and the slowest of slow burns.